People are collapsing, but Kevin

The purple-haired girl sat with her knees hugged. When she heard approaching footsteps, she raised her eyes slightly. The figure of the boy approaching was reflected in her empty pupils.

Mei opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something, but it seemed difficult to say it. She was silent for a long time, and finally, before Kevin could not hold back and ask, she spoke softly:

"Go ahead, Kevin." She closed her eyes tightly, ready to be killed. "Kill me."

"Why do you say that? Mei, this joke is not funny at all!"

"Ah?! What the hell?"

After hearing this, not only Yuno, but Kevin was also completely confused. He originally wanted to ask her where this strange dress came from and the horns on her head, but he instantly lost the desire to ask her.

He leaned down and stared at Mei strangely for a while, feeling confused.

You've finally survived, why are you thinking of committing suicide?

"Honestly, I'm doubting your mental state now. How about you calm down first?"

Considering Mei's previous strange behavior, the unknown power she had erupted, and this peculiar outfit, Kevin felt that he had reason to believe that something was wrong with her.

Her long purple hair was draped softly behind her head, seeming to be longer than before, hanging softly on the ground. The original Qianyu Academy uniform had been replaced by a black and white tights, depicting the girl's plump and slender figure, appropriately embellished with red armor, showing a different kind of heroic spirit.

As for what Yuno mentioned, there was a pair of long scarlet horns sticking out from the bangs on the forehead, just like the appearance of the "ghost" in the Far East legend, which was undoubtedly the most impressive part.

It looked like a real thing, and Kevin couldn't help but feel curious, but he suppressed the urge to reach out and touch it.

As far as he could remember, the last time he saw Mei on the rooftop, she didn't have this thing on her head, which seemed very strange.

How is this going?

Chapter 25: The Sinner’s Elegy (Part 2)

"No, I'm calm..."

Seeing that Kevin still had no intention of taking action, Mei sighed and shook her head, her brows drooping. Her lavender eyes had lost their luster, revealing a dead despair. She glanced up and met the boy's puzzled eyes.

Unlike Kevin, who was dominated by the instinct of fighting and seemed to have forgotten what had just happened, Mei, who transformed into a Herrscher in extreme despair, completely retained her memory of that time.

Because of a great sacrifice in the previous era, the Herrscher of this era did not have an independent personality descended from Honkai itself. The so-called Herrscher personality now is actually more like a vicious extension of the master personality.

The Herrscher was born to exterminate civilization. As a test mechanism for civilization, this principle will never change. When the huge negative emotions of the elemental body condense into a core, the influence of the collapse quietly takes effect.

Common sense has been tampered with, hostility towards humans has been infinitely magnified, and the human side has been infinitely reduced, but in essence, this is not a split personality, nor is it a new personality that appears out of thin air. She is still the same person.

Therefore, in this era, it is entirely possible for the Herrscher to find himself again.

But because of this, Mei remembers it clearly, whether it was the detonation of the great collapse that affected the entire Changkong City, turning countless people into mindless dead soldiers, or being driven by the Herrscher's thinking mode with the intention of killing Kevin.

"Don't you understand? Kevin, I am the one who caused this disaster!"

As she spoke, Mei became more and more emotional. Depression and regret surged into her heart. She let out a few sobs of collapse and her fingertips clenched tightly.

"But I understand. That kind of violent Honkai explosion..."

My eyes swept across the ruins of the academy. The once vibrant and flourishing scene was no longer there. There was no noise or warmth, only cold remains, which was shocking.

As a Herrscher, Mei is very clear about the scope of the Honkai reaction she caused. The fate of the entire city can be seen from the tragic scene here. It seems that everything is completely dead...

"Except for the three of us, the three million people in Changkong City are probably beyond saving. It was me...it was me who killed those three million people! It was me..."

Even one life cannot be saved, let alone three million people in the entire city?

Even though she had no idea about this number, the geography knowledge she had learned made Mei understand how much economic value and social benefits the population of a port metropolis like Changkong City could create.

Then, just because of himself, the whole city was destroyed.

The state of depression and self-blame became more serious due to the huge sense of guilt, and rose to deeper despair. Around her, it seemed that one figure after another was emerging.

It was the students from Class D who stretched out their pale hands to her, crying out in pain and telling her about their miserable fate and ending.

There were also teachers at the school and countless unknown people, all of whom transformed into hideous and terrifying figures of dead men, pulling at her shaking body as if they were going to drag her into the dark quagmire.

That is the fate of sinners.

Mei wished so much that Kevin would be more ruthless at that time and end her life directly so that she could join the ranks of the three million people.

Suddenly, a sudden question interrupted her thoughts:

"So, you want to die to atone for your sins, is that what you mean?"

Mei nodded wordlessly.

In fact, maybe she didn't want to die. As early as the moment the Honkai broke out, the existence named Raiden Mei had died along with the three million people who had turned into dead soldiers.

Snapped--!

A crisp sound and a burning pain on her face forced her to wake up from the dark entanglement.

Mei looked at the white-haired boy in front of her in disbelief, and her hand subconsciously touched her cheek. She didn't expect that what she got was not a bullet, but a slap in the face.

Kevin waved his hand to stop Yuno from trying to dissuade him, and grabbed the black armor on Mei's neck and lifted her up.

"What a joke! If you die, will those three million people be resurrected? Do you think you are a god?"

Pulling the girl in front of him, he glared at her tearful purple eyes, frowned, and snorted coldly:

"I was thinking of competing with you before, how embarrassing, Raiden Mei! I never thought that you, whom I considered as my opponent, would turn out to be such a coward!"

The harsh rebuke made Mei feel a little timid instinctively. She stared blankly at the pair of eyes radiating anger in front of her, pursed her lips and dared not make a sound.

Seeing the girl's frightened appearance, Kevin realized that he might have gone a little too far. He acted too fiercely and scared the girl.

++[( He sighed, thinking back to the old man who had left him forever. His eyes gradually dimmed, and his tone slowed down slightly before he continued:

"If a person dies, everything is over, understand? There is nothing left, and there is nothing that can be done..."

"But...I..."

"I understand, I understand! But if you really want to atone for the sins of those three million people, then you have to do something. Use your power to fight against Honkai or something like that. Are you trying to impress a ghost by dying to atone for your sins?!"

Kevin pressed Mei's shoulders with both hands, shook her vigorously, and looked into her eyes which were gradually becoming brighter, showing a rare solemnity.

It is a temperament that comes from going through many ups and downs and is mature far beyond one's age.

"Listen carefully. We cannot change the past, but we have the right to choose the future. You can live and take responsibility, and use your actions to make up for your sins."

Kevin paused.

"Or just die like this and let your weakness leave you with countless regrets. The decision is yours."

After he finished speaking, he took out the Thor's Hammer hanging from his waist, pressed it heavily into Mei's hand, and continued:

"Make your own choice. I have no right to interfere in matters of life and death. But remember, Raiden Mei, I don't want weakness to be your epitaph. That's not a glorious ending."

Feeling the cool metal touch in her hand, Mei silently lowered her eyes. The heavy gun made her feel like she was holding the weight of her life, and her fingers involuntarily clenched the handle.

She looked up and saw the white-haired boy had his back turned, so she couldn't tell what his expression was.

On the other side, the pink-haired girl clasped her hands tightly in front of her chest, her blue eyes filled with worry, as if to say, "Don't do anything stupid, Mei."

This made her wonder if she was really just escaping from the overly heavy reality as Kevin said?

A full three million people, although they have not experienced it in person, just hearing this horrific number is enough to realize how painful this disaster is.

Unless you are a lunatic, who can accept the fact that you are the culprit at the first time?

I'm afraid not.

Even the most determined soldier would experience serious self-denial and doubt, let alone a high school girl with a fragile mind?

But Mei also knows that she is no longer the cowardly and powerless person she used to be.

She also remembered clearly that in that darkness, Kevin pulled her out and helped her walk out of the haze in her heart.

Now, Mei can even feel that she can control her power as a Herrscher as easily as controlling her limbs, without the previous feeling of being out of control.

At least that’s the case now…

Her finger lightly pressed on the trigger.

And then, BAM!

A beam of light blue electric arc shot out from the muzzle of Thor's Hammer and accurately hit the skull of an Advance-level Honkai Beast. The scorching energy penetrated it and turned it into a pink Honkai energy particle that drifted away in the wind.

The surge in Honkai energy in the previous battle has provided an excellent breeding ground for the creation of Honkai beasts. Mei, who still has some connection with them, noticed their existence at the first moment and killed them with one blow.

"Congratulations, Mei, it seems you are stronger than I thought!"

Kevin turned around and applauded her along with Yuno beside him, then took the hammer that was thrown back to him and put it back into the holster on his waist.

"Hey, I knew Mei was a strong girl. She wouldn't be defeated by such a small difficulty, right?"

Raising her arms and cheering, Yuno happily walked forward and hugged Mei into her arms, pouting slightly in dissatisfaction, reaching out and poking her cheek, her fingertips moving up and touching the long scarlet horn.

"Really? Don't say such terrible things next time. Aren't we a team? No matter what the problem is, we can solve it together as a group of three."

"Well…"

The overly close distance brought a hint of rich fragrance, and feeling the touch of the girl's soft skin, Mei's serious face was stained with shy blush, and the strange touch on her head made her breathing speed up.

That’s great, just like the wish she made yesterday, she hopes the three of them can be together forever.

But now there are only three of us left...

So she would not choose to die to atone for her sins - Kevin was right, self-sacrifice and abandoning everything would be too irresponsible and too easy for herself.

In fact, there are no words that can teach a person unless they are exactly what he thinks in his heart.

Maybe Mei is just waiting for someone, someone who can speak for her, say these words for her, and lead her to the right path to atonement.

Therefore, Mei Raiden chose to live, not to use death to satisfy herself or escape reality, but to repay with her own actions.

This is the realization of being a sinner.

Before leaving, at Yuno's request, Kevin brought a large piece of flat rubble and placed it in front of the ruins of the teaching building.

It's like a monument to commemorate those who have passed away.

"Asakura Miyuki, Mizuno Saori, Hanyu Yuzuru... I hope you can live well in that world."

Listening to Yuno recounting the familiar yet unfamiliar

Kevin was silent for a moment, and couldn't help asking:

"Yuno, did you write down everyone's name in the class? Are they all people you know?"

"Not necessarily." Yuno shook her head, "But I remember it very clearly, every story I experienced with them."

"Every bit of our beautiful daily life is created together with the people around us, isn't it? Because of this, everyone is worth remembering..."

Yuno closed her eyes halfway through her speech, and there seemed to be a faint tremor in her words.

“May you rest in peace.”

Kevin made the sign of the cross on his chest, and Mei sighed, as if thinking about something. They both knew that this disaster was unimaginably heavy for the pink-haired girl.

She is optimistic, cheerful and loves to socialize with people. When everything she cherishes is taken away from her, the sadness in her heart is no less than that of Mei.

But in order to always do something meaningful for herself and bring positive emotions to the people around her, Yuno will not easily show her depressed side.

"Alright, alright." She cheered herself up and laughed, "At least the three of us are together now. Let's work hard together to survive!"

--------

ps: When people are confused, what they need most is a slap in the face

Chapter 26 Kevin: Surrender to destiny!

Ten minutes later, at the site of the commercial street in the eastern district of Changkong City...

It seemed that it was affected by some previous fierce battle, and this block near Qianyu Academy was basically completely destroyed.

Most of the stores were either buried under collapsed debris or were crackling with fire and emitting thick black smoke.

However, the shopping mall with a huge hole smashed by something is still standing, as if stubbornly defending the memory of the past and unwilling to fall down.

Just last weekend, Kevin and the other two were hanging out here. It's really sad that such a change happened in just a few days.

Since it was a weekday, the flow of people before the collapse was relatively sparse, and only scattered dead soldiers could be seen along the way. However, we encountered quite a few collapse beasts that were in the process of taking shape.

But before the Honkai energy particles were able to gather, a purple arc of electricity flashed across the sky, turning them back into their basic particle state.